Vented fluid dispensing container



My 1953 WOLCOTT VENTED' FLUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed May 12, 1951INVENTOR. H IROLD VKmco'rr.

Jfiomve' Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEN'IED FLUIDDISPENSING CONTAINER Harold Wolcott, Burlingame, Calif.

Application May 12, 1951,. Serial N 0. 226,012

3 Claims.

new and novel venting means for a sealed container which will operatewithout danger of any seepage of fluid through the venting aperture whenthe container is in use.

A, further object. of the invention is to provide a vent for a sealedcontainer having a fluid control valve. that is rendered operable whenthe container is in, an inverted position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part evident tothose skilled in the art andin partpointed out hereinafter in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, wherein there is shown by way ofillustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment of. theinvention.

In the drawing:

, Figure l is a fragmentary view of a container constructed inaccordance with the invention and with venting means, shown in section,as applied thereto,,

Figure 2 is. a. view similar to-Figure. 1 showing the container in aninverted position,

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary sectional view of a. fluid controllingvalve of the type illustrated in Figure 1,.

Figures 4. and, 5 are modified forms of the. valve which may besubstituted for valve of Figure 8, and I Figure 6. is a fragmentaryview, partially in section, or a container closure accommodating supportby which the invention may be applied to jars or other containers. ofdifferent sizes.

The purpose of a vent, such as is contemplated by the present invention,is to provide for a substantially uni-form flow of a dispensed fluid.from the container without gurgling or the. entrapment of air by thedischarging fluid as it flows from the container.. Where a fluid such aslubricating oil, brake fluid or other semi-viscous liquids are dispensedfrom a container it. is, desirable to. retain the fluid in a.substantially sealed con.- .dition. and. against. contamination when thecontainer is not in use and at. the same time provide for the admissionof air to the interior of the container as the fluid flows therefrom inbeing applied to a point of use. In the dispensing of lubricating oil,brake fluid and the like, it is also a requirement that the container beprovided with a pouring spout which can be directed into a more or lessrestricted fluid receiving opening into which the fluid is to be poured.In connection with this particular problem it is also desirable thatmeans be provided whereby a control of the flow of fluid from thecontainer is possible and to solve this particular problem I employ asimple form of valve in the form of an inverted stopper or valve memberwhich is operated by merely bringing a valve operating member at theouter end of the fluid discharging spout into engagement with the sideof a fluid receiving inlet of any receptacle, for example, such as anautomobile crankcase or a fluid containing chamber of a hydraulic brakesystem.

At the present time where vents are provided for sealed containers ofthe type here contemplated it is the general practice to provide a longsmaller diameter tube which is in direct communication with theatmosphere at its outer end and is extended downwardly into thecontainer to a point closely adjacent the bottom thereof; While thisform of venting means is satisfactory in a great many places it is opento the objection that the vent pipe has a. tendency to pick up a certainamount of the fluid being dispensed by capillary attraction. Then as thecontainer is inverted this fluid within the vent tube has a tendency todrip out and accumulate on the outside of the container. This is one ofthe. problems which my present invention is designed to avoid. A furtherobjection to the downwardly extended type of vent pipe is that. when thecover of the container with such a vent pipe is" removed there is dangerof the vent pipe being bent or broken oif. Another objectionable featurefound with this type of vent pipe is that the closure member, whenequipped with such a venting means, can only be used with a containerhaving a depth sub stantially equal to and in no event less than theextending length of the vent pipe, whereas with the venting means hereproposed there is no extension of the vent pipe into the fluid of thecontainer and it is therefore adaptable for use with containers ofvarying depths.

Whilethe invention ishere described and shown in the drawing as appliedto a portable container such as a glass jar which, when notin use, isplaced in an upright position, it will be clear from what follows thatthe venting means here proposed will be equally efiective both to retainfluid and also vent a container which is spout l4. .ing collar or flange28 that is adapted to be brought into contact with the side of anopening permanently supported in an inverted position. Therefore, inorder to take full advantage of the novel operating characteristics ofmy improved vent it will be found desirable to provide a valve means atthe outer end of the pouring spout of the container which can beoperated to permit the escape of fluid from the container in itsinverted position.

For a consideration of what I believe to be my invention, reference isnow made to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, wherein the numeral ldesignates a closure means that is adapted to be applied to either aglass jar or other container II. In this instance, the cover I0 is shownas provided with a threaded flange l2 by which it is screwed upon aglass jar H, a gasket i3 is also shown as providing an airtight sealbetween the cover Ill and the container Centrally of the cover I0 thereis a coaxially extending tubular spout M which terminates with its innerend flush with the inside of the cover ill and may be extended outwardlyto any desired point depending upon the conditions under which thecontained fluid is to be dispensed. Secured to the cover It! anddisposed about the spout it and in sealing engagement with the latter atits apex there is a truncated conical chamber forming member I5 that isprovided with a single vent opening I6 which in the present instance isshown as a short length of tubing l1 projecting inwardly at a rightangle to the Wall of the chamber forming member I5.

Extending through the cover it) and at a point radially outward from thespout M there is a relatively smaller vent pipe i8 which extends a shortdistance through the cover ID as at l9. At its .upper end the vent pipeI'B terminates at the apex of the chamber formed by the chamber formingmember 5 as at 28. With this arrangement, it was seen that when thecontainer 1 I is inverted ,as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing and fluidis being discharged through the pouring spout l4 air will flow to theinterior of the container through the small vent iii to inside of thechamber formed by the member i'S and thence through the vent pipe Hi tothe interior of the container This latter figure of the drawingillustrates an extreme condition wherein a certain amount of fluid hasaccumulated within the venting chamber. Under these conditions the ventpipe 5 will suck up this fluid when the valve provided at the dischargend of the spout i4 is opened,

as will be hereinafter described.

Reference is now made to Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing wherein Ihave shown different arrangements for a valve such as will be foundparticularly suited for application to the end of the fluid pouringspout M as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. First, as shown inFigure 3, the arrangement consists of a valve member 2| which is biasedinto sealing relation with a valve seat 22 formed by a restrictedextension at the outer end of the pouring spout hi by means of acompression sprin 23. The valve member 2| is mounted upon a guide rod"24 that extends at its lower end through a spider 25 against which thespring 23 is seated and at its upper end the guide rod connects with atransversely extending pin 26 which is carried by a slidable sleeve 21that forms a movable extension at the end of the pouring This sleeve 21has an annular operatof a receptacle into which the fluid is to be dis-;charged. The pin 26, as here indicated, extends through two oppositelyspaced elongated slots 23 formed in the reduced outer end of the pouringspout M and when not in use the valve member 2| will be held in itsuppermost position by the sprin 23. With this arrangement it will beseen that no fluid will be discharged from the pouring spout l4 when thecontainer I I is inverted until the valve 2| has been opened by bringingthe flange 28 of the slidable sleeve 21 into contact with the side of afluid receiving aperture.

In Figure 4 the valve arrangement is somewhat similar to that shown inFigure 3 except that the valve biasing spring is disposed externally ofthe pouring spout I l so that the spider described above is notrequired. In this arrangement a slidable valve operating member 30carries a pin 3| to which a stem 32 of a valve member 33 is attached.The pin 3| moves within oppositely disposed slots 34 formed in aconstricted end of the pouring spout l4 and a valve biasin spring 35 isenclosed within the operating member 30 to close the valve. At its lowerend the spring 35 seats against a collar 36 which is fixed upon thepouring spout Hi. In this arrangement the valve operating member 30 hasa depending skirt-like portion 31 which slides freely over the fixedcollar 36. Thus when the valve operating member 30 is out of contactwith a fluid receiving receptacle the valve 33 will be held in itsclosed position by the spring 35.

In the arrangement of Figure 5 a valve operating member 38 of modifiedform is shown as slidably mounted upon a fixed collar 39 carried by thepouring spout l4 and at the outer end of the spout Hi there is a valveseat formin bushing 40 against which a flared end 4| of a tubular valvemember 42 is seated. The tubular valve member 42 is secured intermediateits ends to the operating member 38 and at its lower end and within thelimits of the valve seat forming bushing 40 it has a number of apertures43 through which fluid may flow from the pouring spout l4 when the valveis operated in the manner above indicated. In this arrangement acompression spring 44 is provided for biasing the flared end 4| oi thetubular extension 42 into sealing relation with the valve seat formingbushing 40.

With all of the above described valve arrangements it will be seen thatwhen the fluid dispensing container H is equipped with a vent of thecharacter described and is provided with any one of the above valvearrangements, no fluid will flow from the container either through thespout or through the vent tube until the valve is opened at the end ofthe pouring spout. By now referring back to Figure 2 of the drawings itwill be seen that when the valve at the outer end of the pouring spoutI4 is closed, the pouring spout will become completely filled with fluidas will -also the vent tube l8, but when an equilibrium in air pressurehas been obtained within the container no fluid will flow through thepouring spout M or the vent tube |8 until the valve is opened. In theevent of an accumulation of fluid which may flow through the vent tubeduring a filling up of the pouring spout I4 it will be readily seen, ashere illustrated, that when the valve at the outer end of the pouringspout I4 is opened the column of fluid within pouring spout M will causeair to be drawn in through the vent tube of the venting chamber andthence into the container through the vent tube It. During thisoperation any oil, here designated by the numeral 45, which may haveaccumulated in the venting chamber will be drawn back into the containerH and as a consequence there will be no seepage or inadvertent spillingof the fluid through the vent tube as is the case with other forms ofventing means wherein the vent tube is not extended into a sealedventing chamber which, as here illustrated, provides what might beproperly referred to as a fluid sealing air trap.

As shown in the drawing my improved pouring spout with its ventingchamber is mounted upon a screw cap Iil such as might be used with anyordinary glass jar of a definite size and to render this pouring spoutadaptable for use upon other types of containers and particularly onehaving an open end of larger diameter, there is shown in Figure 6 anattachment, designated by the numeral 46, having an inner threadedportion 47 comparable in diameter to the threaded flange [2 of thearrangement shown in Figure l and an outer threaded portion 48 which maybe of a diameter comparable to the open end of a larger container.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose theinvention so that the same can be readily understood, described andillustrated specific devices and arrangements, I desire to have itunderstood that this invention is not limited to the specific meansdisclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggestthemselves to persons skilled in the art. believed that this inventionis new and all such changes as come within the scope of the appendedclaims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a fluid dispensing device, the combination of a container havingan open top, a closure member for the open top of said container havingan outwardly extending tubular fluid discharge pipe communicating withthe interior of said container when said closure member is appliedthereto, a vent pipe carried by said closure member extending outwardlyalong and adjacent said fluid discharge pipe and also communicating withthe interior of said container at a point above any fluid therein whenin an upright position, means forming an air chamber externally of saidcontainer into which the extending end of said vent pipe is enclosed,said air chamber having a vent opening positioned remote from theextending end of said vent pipe, and a valve means carried by saiddischarge pipe disposed outwardly beyond the extending end of said ventpipe and said air chamber, whereby upon inversion of said container saidvent pipe will siphon back into said container any fluid which may haveaccumulated in said air chamber.

It is.

2. In a fluid dispensing device, the combination of a container havingan open top, a closure member secured to the open top of said containerhaving an outwardly extending tubular fluid discharge pipe communicatingwith the interior of said container, .a vent pipe carried by saidclosure member extending outwardly from the top of said container andalong said fluid discharge pipe and also communicating with the interiorof said container and above any fluid therein when said container is inits upright position, and means forming an air chamber externally of andabout said fluid discharge pipe into which the outwardly extending endof said vent pipe is enclosed, said air chamber having a vent openingpositioned remote from the extending end of said vent pipe, whereby uponinversion said container will be vented through said air chamber withoutleakage through said vent when said container is inverted. I

3. In a fluid dispensing device of the character described, thecombination of a container for fluids, a closure member secured andsealed to the top of said container, an outwardly extending tubulardischarge pipe secured to said closure member, said discharge pipecommunicating with the interior of said container and having a normallyclosed shut-off valve at its outer end to control the flow of fluidstherethrough, a cone shaped air chamber sealed at the apex to saiddischarge pipe and at its base to said closure member, a siphoning venttube secured to the said closure member and extending within and to theapex of said cone shaped chamber, said siphoning air vent tubecommunicating with the interior of the container and above any liquidtherein when in its upright position, an air vent tube extending throughthe side of said cone shaped air chamber and positioned remote from theextending end of said siphoning air vent tube, whereby upon inversion ofsaid container and an opening of said shut-off valve the fluids trappedin said cone shaped air chamber will be automatically siphoned back intothe container.

HAROLD WOLCOTT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 379,738 Sutphen Mar. 20, 1888 538,746 Sarrazin May 7, 18952,348,514. Bates May 9, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 363,791Germany Nov. 13, 1922 749, 37 France July 17, 1933

